Medical Knowledge

The next topic we are going to go over is what kind of medical information you need to know. During any attack, there is always a chance that you or someone in your family may be harmed and you should have at least some basic medical tools in your “toolbox” in order to cope until first responders can arrive. As I am not a qualified medical technician of any sort beyond my military training, I will not be going into the actual performance of anything I am about to list. That will be up to you to learn, practice, and implement if necessary.

• CPR is a skill everyone should know. It seems that they change the number of compressions to breaths every few years so if it has been more than a year since you were qualified I would recommend that you get re-certified. Your local fire department or hospital are both good places to ask about where to get certified and when the next classes will begin, as well as how much they will be. Usually it is around $100.

• Learn how to work an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). This may be covered in the CPR class but if not you should learn how to work it. They are designed for a novice to be able to use (it has pictures and it talks to you) but becoming familiar with this piece of gear before an emergency will go a long way towards success. If you have not seen them before or even know what I am talking about, the next time you are at your local mall there is probably at least one somewhere on the wall. If you can’t find it ask a mall representative where it is located. I will post a picture and discuss this piece of equipment in my next post.

• Have a basic understanding of the human anatomy and the effect trauma has on it. The amount of blood pouring from a wound is not always an indicator of the severity. A small wound to the head will bleed much more than a deep puncture, and depending on where the puncture is at, that will be the worst injury. Become familiar with the location of your major organs, arteries, bones, and in what capacity they function.

• Learn how to spot arterial bleeding, as this is the worst kind.

• Learn when and how to apply a tourniquet.

• Use the acronym M.A.R.C.H when dealing with a casualty.

           M. Massive Hemorrhaging - Look for and treat all wounds of this nature first.
           A. Airway - Next ensure that they are breathing.
           R. Respiration - If they are breathing, is it labored?  Lung issues?
           C. Circulation - Do they have a pulse in their foot?
           H. Head to Toe/Hypothermia - Once the major issues are addressed, treat less serious issues.

• Learn how to spot a head or back injury and the subsequent action you should take.

• Learn how to splint a broken limb

• In the event of a seizure, become familiar with what you should do to help the victim.

• Learn how to proceed in case of an eye injury.

• Learn how to use an epinephrine auto injector (EpiPen). Some people in this world are extremely allergic to such things as insect bites and food, and can go into anaphylactic shock. Left untreated, they will most probably die. To combat this, they carry around an EpiPen that injects medicine into their body counteracting the allergic reaction. You may never need to use one but it is simple to learn and on the off chance someone you know may be at risk, it would be a good skill to have. Security and safety go hand-in-hand.

This is by no means a complete list, but if you learn nothing else except what I talked about above you will stand a better chance of saving yourself or a member of your family. Knowing the basics of medical care will boost your confidence tremendously not only during an attack, but also in your everyday life. Remember, EMT’s are reactionary just like the police.

I have included a link that is EXTREMELY GRAPHIC in nature in which an Afghan soldier gets hit with an IED, but it does an awesome job of showing the above mentioned steps of MARCH being carried out.  Again, do not view this video if the site of blood or massive bodily harm makes you squirm or if it will mess you up mentally.  The guy does survive by the way.